IACD Webinar: From Plans to People: Applying Asset Based Community Development in Contemporary Town Planning Practice

This webinar explores how Asset‑Based Community Development (ABCD) can inform contemporary town planning practice, drawing on professional experience, practical reflection, and applied learning from South African planning contexts. It considers how planners can move beyond compliance-driven and deficit-based approaches by working with local assets, relationships, and capacities as a foundation for community development. Using examples from strategic, precinct, and neighbourhood-scale planning, the presentation reflects on how ABCD can be translated into planning processes, stakeholder engagement, and locally grounded spatial interventions. The session invites academics and practitioners to think critically about town planning as a profession that can contribute more directly to community development, local ownership, and long-term resilience.